As the 2030 deadline looms, SOFI 2020 gauges whether #ZeroHunger remains achievable by tracking countries' performance and trajectory to offer a tiered assessment of the likelihood of success.

On July 14, FAO and IFPRI held a high-level discussion with distinguished speakers, including Members of the US Congress and the Directors-General of FAO and IFPRI, on the report’s key findings as well as the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global food and nutrition security.

High-Level Remarks

• QU Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI

Special Remarks

• Congressman Jim McGovern, 2nd District of Massachusetts and Co-Chair of the House Hunger
• Senator John Boozman, Senior US Senator of Arkansas and Co-Chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus (Invited)

Keynote Speaker

• Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and SDG Advocate for UN SG Antonio Guterres

Presentation of Report's Key Findings

• Máximo Torero, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Panel Discussion

• Anna Herforth, Tufts Affiliate and Senior Research Associate, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
• Anna Lartey, Director, Nutrition, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Marie Ruel, Director, Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, IFPRI

Closing Remarks

• Vimlendra Sharan, Director, FAO North America

Moderator

• Thomas Pesek, Senior Liaison Officer, FAO North America

The webinar, with support from the European Commission, presented findings from this global study on COVID-19 and its impact on childhood malnutrition and nutrition-related mortality. A distinguished panel reflected on the implications of these findings for Ethiopia.

Introduction:

• Dr Aregash Samuel, NIPN Coordinator, EPHI/NIPN
• Teunis Van Rheenen, Head of Partnerships & Business Development, IFPRI

Moderator:

• Cornelia van Zyl, Senior Technical and Policy Advisor, IFPRI/NIPN

Presenter:

• Derek Headey, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Panelists:

• Dr Ferew Lemma - Senior Advisor Office of the State Minister (Programs), Federal Ministry of Health
• Dr Sisay Sinamo - Senior Program Manager of the Sequota Declaration Implementation, Federal Program Delivery Unit, Ministry of Health

The Ceres2030 organized a virtual dialogue with African ministers on how their governments are responding to try to avert a COVID-19 hunger and malnutrition crisis. Ceres2030 is a joint initiative by IISD, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and Cornell University that provides the donor community with a menu of policy options for directing their investments, backed by the best available evidence and economic models.

Dialogue set-up:
Moderators: Francine Picard Mukazi & Carin Smaller, IISD
Speakers:

• H.E. Koutéra Noël Bataka, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Togo
• H.E. Lydie Beasseamda, Minister of Production, Irrigation and Agricultural Equipment, Chad (tbc)
• H.E. Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, South Africa
• H.E. Sadou Seydou, Minister of Trade and Private Sector Promotion, Niger
• H.E. Vincent Ssempijja, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda

Funding support comes from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).